My friend is a rather experienced beer drinker and he says that when he drinks my homebrew he claims that he has more hangovers than when he drinks the same amount of non-homebrewed beer. I control my fermentation temperatures and to this point have only brewed ales. I tend to ferment at 62 - 68 degrees. Any ideas what is going on with my beers. I have seen other posts about green beer causing headaches, but I let them ferment out, sit, and then force carb for two weeks. I am pretty sure it is not fusal alcohols because of the fermentation control. What can it be?!?!
Buddy says my homebrew gives him headaches...
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two_hearted
Well-Known Member
yeast allergy?
I have seen several threads like this and to my knowledge there is not really a clear cut answer.
I have seen several threads like this and to my knowledge there is not really a clear cut answer.
mistercameron
Well-Known Member
Just one thought - the same volume of home brew will probably have quite a bit more alcohol than your average BMC if that's the comparison he's making.
MyNameIsPaul
Well-Known Member
Do you ferment at higher temps? I read on here that higher temps lead to fusel alcohols, which will indeed cause headaches. There's a lot more science to it, so I hope someone here can chime in and give you the lowdown.
dbrewski
Well-Known Member
+1, this was my thought too. It has more alcohol than whatever he's used to drinking ("experienced beer drinker"...is that a job description?). If you beer tastes good to you, that's what matters.
mistercameron said:
This is what I was thinking. I get into trouble at beer festivals because I drink too many high gravity beers when I'm used to 6-7 percent.
RyanWeary
Well-Known Member
That's odd because I'm the exact opposite. When I enjoy a few too many I usually am sluggish the next morning, but not headaches or any pain. I'm just lethargic. But, after some bacon, eggs, coffee and a shower I'm good.
rockfish42
Well-Known Member
It's also problematic if you have a kegging setup, I know my friends lose the ability to gauge how much they'd had without bottles or cans to count. My russian roommate almost killed himself with my BIPA.
I got to agree with you on that,ryan. I'm a little lethargic the next morning myself. But coffee (redneck rocket fuel,mind you) & breakfast & I feel better. I wonder if it's not just the higher ABV,but the fact that it's a cleaner form of ethanol than the chemical ridden,heavy adjunct lagers he's used too? I noticed the buzz from HB is cleaner feeling,& doesn't last as long,nor as heavy.
This is my thought as well. You say he's an experienced beer drinker, but not what kind....an experienced bmc drinker, and a craft beer drinker who thinks nothing of polishing up a bomber of 10% barleyine are two different animals.
HawksBrewer
Well-Known Member
Hmmmmm.... did you just say "bomber of 10% barleywine?" Sign me up. (after work of course)
Thanks for all the replies! I have not seen him without a craft beer in his hand in a couple of years. He may have a Labatt Blue at the bar if there is nothing else, but he is going through a IPA phase for the last year since he got some Pliney. He drinks 90%+ craft beer. He thinks that it is something in my homebrew. I have started to cold crash my beers in an attempt to remove most of the yeast. It is still affecting him. I am lost and out of ideas...
try gelatin if you think that it is something you can remove from your beer. (^cold crash) I have a friend who says the same thing about McMenamins beer here in Portland. I've never figured it out... (he's a home brewer as well)
Lunchtime
Well-Known Member
Does he homebrew?
You'd think if he drank his share fo craft brews some of them would be bottle conditioned, he would have had experience with larger amounts of yeast than in non craft beers.
Another test would be to see if he gets hung over on commercial bottle conditioned beers or unfiltered commercial beers (whites and wheat). Maybe he just cannot handle the live yeast.
Other than that, the common thing between your beers will likely be the water.
Try changing your water profile if this is really bothering you.
Other than that, the common thing between your beers will likely be the water.
Try changing your water profile if this is really bothering you.
@ revvy-That's what makes me think it's more psychological than anything else. He knows it's his home made hooch. Maybe he doesn't think of it as home brewed craft beer & doesn't express it that way to him?...
NateLTB
Well-Known Member
The only thing that happens to me when I drink McMenamins is a hunger for cajun tater tots.
i see you say force carb, so that means kegging ,
interesting thing i read the other day .. ask your co2 supplier about benzine levels ?
One impurity that all homebrewers should be aware of is benzene. Benzene is a no-no for homebrewers. If the CO2 that you are purchasing has high benzene levels, it will leave you and fellow drinkers with terrible headaches. When I say high levels, we are not talking about much. Benzene is usually an impurity that is referred to in PPB. The benzene level should be around 20 PPB.
quoted from http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/BN-Army-Blog/C02-Myths-and-Rumors
try loading your friend up on bottle conditioned instead of force carbed beer as a test.
interesting thing i read the other day .. ask your co2 supplier about benzine levels ?
One impurity that all homebrewers should be aware of is benzene. Benzene is a no-no for homebrewers. If the CO2 that you are purchasing has high benzene levels, it will leave you and fellow drinkers with terrible headaches. When I say high levels, we are not talking about much. Benzene is usually an impurity that is referred to in PPB. The benzene level should be around 20 PPB.
quoted from http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/BN-Army-Blog/C02-Myths-and-Rumors
try loading your friend up on bottle conditioned instead of force carbed beer as a test.
chemman14
Well-Known Member
This would give anyone a headache, I'm sure.
I have to find me some of that.
They have it at the local total wine for 14.99 a bottle. I could grab one and maybe trade for some rare east coast brews? LMK
